Any kind of surgery needs to be followed by proper aftercare treatment. Without it, the recovery process won’t progress and the best result that you have been expecting won’t come. Dental implant surgery is also the same. You should give yourself proper care. Now, if you don’t know what you should or not do, here we have several tips on dental implant aftercare treatment.
Start Immediately
Do not dilly-dally! Start the aftercare immediately after your surgery ends. Start by resting. Therefore, you should ask someone to accompany you to the dentist. So, that person can drive you home and let you rest during your trip to your home. It is necessary because, at that time, the anesthesia will start to wear off, which might be able to cause pain in the implant area.
Also, you should avoid touching the implant area or rinsing that area vigorously. The effect after surgery won’t last too long. So, as long as you can follow the aftercare instruction from your dentist, you won’t face any problems.
Dealing with the Bleeding
Bleeding normally occurs for up to 72 hours after the surgery. Without proper treatment, it could cause discomfort or might be a health problem. Here are three things you can do to control bleeding after dental implant surgery:
- Bite down a gauze to stop the bleeding (do it for at least an hour and repeat it every 6-10 hours).
- Apply gentle pressure on the dental implant area for 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Replace the gauze with a moistened black tea bag, if you experience excessive bleeding. Black tea has tannic acid that can help the formation of blood clots.
Other than those three, you also should try to remain calm. Refrain from doing any physical activity. Also, avoid smoking, forceful spitting, or anything that increases the pressure inside the oral blood vessel to reduce the bleeding.
Manage the Pain after Surgery
Pain will come after the anesthesia effect wears off. Therefore, you should be prepared for this to happen because it can become one of the worst nightmares you ever had. Take pain killer before the anesthesia wears off. And, if you need another dosage of painkiller, make sure you wait for six hours before taking another shot. Also, follow the doctor’s prescription and instructions for this matter. In most cases, the pain would ease up after 4 days.
Reduce the Swelling
Swelling in the surgical area is a normal effect after dental implant surgery. You also can have bruises around the nose and eyes area because your sinus got affected by this condition. The swelling and bruising will be noticeable the most 2-3 days after the surgery. However, it naturally disappears, so you don’t need to worry.
If you want to reduce the condition, for example, you have to meet other people during that time, you can use an ice pack. Put it gently on the affected area for 15-20 minutes. Or, you also can use anti-inflammatory OTC medicine. Make sure you choose the correct one. Also, do not forget to drink enough water and reduce salt consumption. When you are sleeping, use a propped-up position with 2-3 pillows.
Get Enough Rest
We recommend you take several days off to recover. You will need at least a week to stay away from any physical strain activity. Plus, have enough sleep at night. 8 hours of good quality sleep will assist the healing process.
Keep Your Oral Hygiene
Do not forget about oral hygiene. A clean and healthy environment around the dental implant will help the healing process of the tissues around it. Below, we have things you can do to clean your mouth after dental implant surgery:
- Brush your teeth (avoid the implant area),
- Use warm water and a teaspoon of salt to rinse,
- Use chlorhexidine to rinse, if necessary,
- Use only the traditional toothbrush or cleaning tool you got from your dentist. Avoid using an electric toothbrush.
Have Healthy Meals
Healthy meals here are the food that is suitable and safe for your oral condition. So, even though a carrot is healthy, it has hard consistency that is not easy to chew. Therefore, it is not recommended for aftercare treatment after dental implant surgery. Eat only soft foods with proper nutrient content.
Stop Smoking and Drinking Alcohol
Smoking brings nothing bad problems to your oral health. The nicotine inside the cigarette will affect the blood vessels. It causes osseointegration and infection in the dental implant area. In the end, it causes implant failure, which becomes a much bigger problem than before.
Ideally, you should stop smoking for at least two months after the dental implant surgery. It would be even better if you give up on smoking. It only gives you health problems, not only on your dental implant and oral health but also on your lungs and respiratory system.
As for alcohol consumption, please stop drinking it for at least 72 hours after the surgery. For the best result and safest condition, you should stop drinking for at least a week. Alcohol can slow down blood vessel formation, which means the implant will take a longer fusing time with the bone.
Regular Check Up
Regular checkup is also necessary to learn about your condition after dental implant surgery. The best time to do that is 14 days after the surgery day. The dentist will remove the stitches and check your healing process. It is necessary to check up to ensure that you have no infection. Even if there is an infection, the dentist detects it sooner, so you will get proper treatment before it becomes worse and difficult to treat.
Conclusion
Aftercare treatment we motioned above will help you to reduce the complication and risk of infection, which can give you oral health problems and prevent the implant fuse to your teeth as you want. Moreover, change your lifestyle into a healthier one. That helps you to get the result in no time. So, follow the guide and get the best dental implant for your teeth and oral health.
